National Dissemination Center for Career and Technical Education
The Ohio State University
Columbus, Ohio 43210-1090

For Immediate Release
Hans Meeder, Deputy Assistant Secretary, Office of Vocational and Adult 
Education, U.S. Department of Education, will moderate a panel discussion 
on "The High School Initiative: Connections with CTE" during a live Webcast 
on Wednesday, December 1 at 3 p.m. EST. The panel participants will discuss 
how CTE aligns itself to education reform, and especially high school reform.

You can view the webcast from any computer with Internet access at:
<http://www.nccte.org/webcasts/description.asp?wc=166>. If you cannot view 
the webcast live, you can view the archived webcast on the National 
Dissemination Center for Career and Technical Education Web site at 
<www.nccte.org>.

Deputy Assistant Secretary Meeder is responsible for policy, research, and 
planning in the administration of the Carl D. Perkins Vocational and 
Technical Education Act of 1998 and the Adult Education and Family Literacy 
Act of 1998. He is also director of the department-wide high school 
initiative, Preparing America's Future.

Panel members joining Meeder for the roundtable discussion will be: Nancy 
Beggs, Director, Career and Technical Education, Alabama Department of 
Education; Milton Erickson, Associate Superintendent and State Director, 
Career Technical Education, Arizona Department of Education; and Katharine 
Oliver, Assistant State Superintendent, Career, Technology and Adult 
Learning, Maryland Department of Education.

Beggs is a product of Alabama's career/technical education system. She has 
been a drafter in industry, an industrial arts teacher in a comprehensive 
high school, a drafting teacher in a career/technical center, an education 
specialist, a director for career/technical student organizations in 
another state, and an education administrator. She is now the state 
director for career/technical education. Beggs is a career educator with a 
real drive to base career/technical education programming on industry 
trends, expectations, and desired outcomes. She makes data-driven 
decisions. She manages her career with two philosophiesthere is dignity in 
hard work' and 'teachers who love teaching help students love learning.

Erickson's responsibilities as Deputy Associate Superintendent and State 
Director, are to direct policy, standards maintenance, state and federal 
accountability measures, and new career and technical education programs 
development and assure assistance to more than 1,650 existing career and 
technical education and workforce development programs throughout Arizona. 
His previous experience includes Deputy Director and Vice President, 
Business Development for the Arizona Hotel Foundation and Vice President of 
Marketing and Communications for the Arizona Chamber of Commerce. Erickson 
has a bachelor's degree in business and marketing from the University or 
Minnesota, and associate's degree in television, radio, and journalism from 
Brown Institute in Minneapolis, MN.

Oliver is the Assistant State Superintendent for Career Technology and 
Adult Learning. She leads a division of the Maryland State Department of 
Education dedicated to excellence and innovation in adult education and 
career and technology education programs. The division's products and 
services help school systems, community colleges, and community-based 
organizations prepare students of all ages for lifelong learning and entry 
into careers. An important component of the division is the Correctional 
Education Program, which provides educational and library services to 
inmates in the state's adult prison program. The division also has lead 
responsibility for Career Connections, Maryland's School-to-Career initiative.
Oliver began her career in public service with Maryland Department of Labor 
Licensing and Regulation. In 1973, she was appointed to the staff of the 
Maryland State Department of Education, where she held numerous positions 
in the Division of Rehabilitation Services' Client Services and Disability 
Determination Services programs. She assumed her current responsibilities 
in 1989.

She graduated from the College of Notre Dame in Baltimore, MD with a 
bachelor's degree in history, and received a master's of science degree in 
administration and management from Hood College in Frederick, MD. Oliver 
serves on a variety of local, state, and national advisory boards related 
to education and workforce development and participates in numerous 
professional organizations associated with career and technology education 
and adult learning.

Viewers of the webcast may ask questions by signing up (no charge) for a 
WebBoard Account at <www.nccte.org>. The chatroom allows you to submit 
questions during the presentation. Please allow ample time as your account 
must be validated by an email confirmation. Questions can be pre-submitted 
by linking to 
<http://www.nccte.org/webcasts/description.asp?wc=166#viewWebcast>.

To subscribe to this e-mail list, please visit this web page: 
<http://www.nccte.org/ctemail/subscription.asp> or send an e-mail 
to<nagy.8 at osu.edu> or contact Barbara Reardon below.

The work reported herein was supported under the National Dissemination for 
Career and Technical Education, PR/Award (No.V051A990004) and/or under the 
National Research Center PR/Award (No.V51A990006) as administered by the 
Office of Vocational and Adult Education, U. S. Department of Education. 
However the contents do not necessarily represent the positions or policies 
of the Office of Vocational and Adult Education or the U.S. Department of 
Education, and you should not assume endorsement by the Federal Government. 
The National Dissemination Center for Career and Technical Education and 
the National Research Center for Career and Technical Education are funded 
by the Office of Vocational and Adult Education, U. S. Department of Education.

For Additional Information Contact:
Barbara Reardon
The Ohio State University
Director of Communications
Columbus, Ohio 43210-1090
Phone: 614-292-2894
Fax: 614-688-3258
Email: <reardon.30 at osu.edu>
Web site: <www.nccte.org>